The Baja California Travel & Living Webzine

Wyland Paints in La Paz for Environmental Issues

Ocean, Art, Science and Education
By Scott Carnahan

The popular diving destination of La Paz, Baja California Sur Mexico recently enjoyed a new kind of aquatic interaction. Most divers and ocean lovers know La Paz for its big animal diving and sightings. The area receives visitors from all over the world, in addition to the diving, sea kayaking, whale watching, snorkeling and many land based desert adventures. While visitors have always enjoyed the natural beauty of the area and respect for its many animal conservation projects a recent effort brings that same information into the communities of La Paz.

The most recent active conservation and educational project was a combined effort between IEMANYA OCEANICA, a shark conservation nonprofit organization, and world famous ocean artist, Wyland. The project took place in downtown La Paz on the main street for the whole world to see and enjoy. The two day event took place March 17-18, 2006. The first day was dedicated to the stunning sight of Wyland and his unique style of painting. In just one day, from sun up to sun down he completed a life size painting of a Blue Whale mother and calf. The painting was 90 feet long and 12 feet high. Those who have seen his works know that Wyland paints incredibly lifelike ocean animals, and this one was painted to scale.

More below...
 

(Click on images in this article to expand)

The second day of painting had a very unique twist to it. IEMANYA brought in children from a community where they work regularly. These children are the family of shark fisherman heavily affected by declines in fish quantity. The goal in these communities is to insure their ability to fish in the future while educating everyone about the marine life, its cycles, and its importance in the world. These children where brought in to paint another mural, with Wyland, involving their favorite sea animals. The dimensions, the same as the first one 90ft long by 12 ft high, and to begin it all Wyland painted a very large sperm whale.

The second day of the event was a huge success. Not only were the IEMANYA fishing camp kids invited but
 

Wyland is best known for his murals around the world of life size whales and other marine life. He calls them “whaling walls.” His next big project is bringing children from all over the world to join him in painting a whale mural on the Great Wall of China. Additionally Wyland is known for his generosity. After having donated a beautiful mural to the City of La Paz he also donated an incredibly detailed bronze sculpture depicting sea turtles and mantas. This sculpture will be placed in front of the existing Wyland mural with a waterfall so it appears these animals are swimming out of his lifelike painting.

This first day of painting was accomplished in full view of all passing by. The location was perfect, the waterfront street in La Paz right in front of the ocean. Not everyone in their lifetime has the opportunity to see a Blue Whale in person but seeing Wyland´s gigantic painting lead many to comment on the incredible size of the animal and its beauty. By using art and education everyone gets a great appreciation of the animals, and can see the reasons people work to protect them.

While Wyland painted, volunteers and staff of IEMANYA distributed information on the local conservation projects. Many tourists and La Paz locals were exited to hear of the great projects involving fishermen, sharks and manta rays. Another topic of discussion was the grassroots work done by IEMANYA in the local communities that have a large population of fisherman whose lives depend on the ever decreasing marine life, particularly sharks and rays. At the end of the day, with the desert sun setting behind his painting Wyland signed it and the work was complete. The painting was on the waterfront and lit by huge lights for all to admire until the next day.

The name of the program that IEMANYA designed here in the Baja Peninsula is “Pescadores y Tiburones” or “Fisherman and Sharks”. The program functions in the shark fishing camps and communities of Baja. The aim of the project is to involve the fishing communities with shark and ray conservation efforts, to foster sustainable fishing practices and instill a conservation ethic. This is done through environmental education, involvement of the fishermen in important shark and ray scientific research, and the development of alternative businesses. The program looks to the next generation by providing conservation training and High School and College scholarships to the children of fishing communities. In addition, it provides business training in alternative economic activities, such as eco-tourism, farming, and aquaculture to fishermen, in an attempt to help them not have to rely on fishing sharks.

Completed Wyland mural on the Esplanade in La Paz

any family in La Paz that was interested could come and paint and meet Wyland. Throughout this long day hundreds of children got their chance to paint on this massive mural. A nice Saturday afternoon in La Paz, Baja California Sur turned into an educational and fun day with everyone walking away with a smile and memories of an unforgettable event.

This project was made possible through the gracious donation of his time by Wyland for the good of this community in Mexico and the hard work on the part of the staff and volunteers at IEMANYA. Non of this could have taken place without the local support of the citizens of La Paz, and the families and friends that so graciously support this conservation and educational based efforts. Baja California and Mexico are a better place for these efforts.

Additional Information

Iemanya Oceanica is a multi-national nonprofit organization 501c(3) in the United States and an A.C. in Mexico, that is dedicated to the conservation of sharks, rays, and their habitats. The IEMANYA team is a group of scientists, educators, film makers, and environmentalists that are committed to protecting marine life while addressing the socio-economic repercussions of conservation within the communities that depend on marine resources. IEMANYA has offices in both Los Angeles, California and La Paz Baja California Sur Mexico. Their current projects include “Pescadores y Tiburones” , “Shark Smart,” “adoptashark.com”, and “Manta Mexico.” For more information on Iemanya Oceanica see their website at www.iemanya.org.

Wyland is the worlds most seen and most active Oceanic Artists. He is not only a painter but also a sculptor and muralist. His works can be seen all over the world including the United States, Canada, Japan, Australia, Mexico, France, and New Zealand. His foundation, The Wyland Foundation brings art and science to children everywhere. You can find more information about the works of Wyland on his website www.wyland.com and about the Wyland Foundation at www.wylandfoundation.com.
 

Additional Resources

Wyland Paints La Paz Mural 2005
Manta Research in the Sea of Cortez 2005
Manta Research in the Sea of Cortez 2004
Diving El Bajo
Swimming with Sea Lions
Baja Environmental Stories